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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. IL NOV. 19,

be decidedly unnatural. The present arrange- ment of a series of books from left to right is a curious one, for it places the first instead of the last page of each volume next the suc- ceeding volume. The only excuse for it seems to be that it allows the reading of the titles consecutively in the direction to which we are accustomed. G. M. BROWN.

THE ORGAN (9 th S. ii. 228, 338). W. B. thinks that music is usually good in Catholic churches and moderate in Protestant. It depends upon taste, but upon money as well. To have good organs and organists and first- class choirs money is necessary. Catholics are a small and poor body in Great Britain, and, except in some favoured places, cannot afford to spend much upon music in church. Also, sometimes, like other people, they are too ambitious, and attempt music which can- not be, with limited resources, satisfactorily performed. In but few places are our services rendered with the power and sweet- ness of Church of England cathedrals, or churches like St. Andrew's, Wells Street ; but then we have no endowments. As regards taste, what pleases some does not please others, and the florid mass music which, as a rule, obtains in our churches, is no doubt popular, although many, like myself, prefer the simple plain-song. Some people hold that the organ spoils plain-chant, and ruins Palestrina. In the Russo-Greek Church, where the singing is most effective, neither organ nor any other musical instrument is tolerated. And in Rome, when the Pope is present in St. Peter's, the only musical accompaniment to the voices permitted is that of the famous silver trumpets. Also, during the last three days of Holy Week, from the "Gloria" of Maundy Thursday until that of Easter Eve, the organ is, in mass and office, everywhere forbidden. Arid in requiem masses its use is tolerated, but nothing more. It is forbidden, also, in the mass and office of the Sundays of Lent and Advent, except upon "Lsetare" and " Gaudere " Sundays (IV. and III.) in these seasons. With regard to the use of the organ generally in Rome, it may be interesting to quote from a most useful manual lately published ('Handbook to Christian and Ecclesiastical Rome : Part II., The Liturgy in Rome,' Adam & Charles Black, 1897). At p. 121 the writers say, concerning the organ in Rome :

" Nowhere is its use so abused. Not only is the most inappropriate music played on it, but it fre quently serves to keep up a mere jangle of deafen ing sound throughout a sacred service, presumably to enliven the tedium of the most unrecollected o: peoples,"

The compilers of this book are, it must be jorne in mind, Catholics ; at least, I gather io from what is said on p. 317 in this excel - ent volume, which is to be commended to those interested in things liturgical.

GEORGE ANGUS. St. Andrews, N.B.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c. The Whitefoord Paper*. Edited by W. A. S.

Hewins, M.A. (Frowde.)

JNDEB circumstances which he narrates in a short jrefatory note Prof. Hewins gives to the world a iterary interest. Two Whitefoords, standing in responsible for the lion's share in a series of letters covering the period between 1739 and 1810 from those of Walter Scott. Comparatively few matters of importance were there, military, poli- tical, or literary, during that period to which some reference cannot be found, and those with whom 'ol. Charles Whitefoord and Caleb Whitefoord were thrown into intimate communion include men concerning whom public curiosity is insatiable. Anything rather than an unassertive race were the Whitefoords, first of Blairquhan, then of White- foord or Quhitfurd. Two of them " the brave Whitefoord" and his wife "the fair Whitefoord" are commemorated in one version of the Border ballad of ' Hughie Graham,' a second version sub- stituting for their names those of Lord and Lady Hume. Another, a bishop of Brechin, was, accord- ing to Burnet, quoted by Prof. Hewins, one of those "aspiring bishops" who sought to force Laud's liturgy on Scotland. Col. \\alter Whitefoord, a follower of Montrose, Anthony k Wood calls "a stout and desperate man," who in 1649 passed, at the Hague, his sword through the body of Dr. Isaac Dorislaus, the regicide, then on a special diplomatic mission to the States General, an action which Evelyn approved. Subsequent members of the family are commemorated by Burns, and one Sir John Whitefoord, the third and last baronet is said to have been the original of Sir Arthur War- dour in Scott's ' Antiquary.' It is, however, with Col. Charles Whitefoord and his son Caleb White- foord we are specially concerned. Neither of these is unconnected with literature. An action of Col. Whitefoord with regard to Alexander Stewart of Invernahyle, who saved his life at Prestonpans, supplied Scott with the famous picture of the relations in ' Waverley' between Bradwardine and Col. Talbot. His son, meanwhile whose portrait was painted by Reynolds, who corresponded with Garrick, whose cross-readings of the newspapers won the praise of Johnson, who met Franklin on diplomatic business, and exchanged epigrams on epitaphs with Goldsmith is a conspicuous figure in eighteenth-century literature. In a very well- known line Goldsmith addresses him as Thou best-humour'd man, with the worst-humour'd
 * orrespondence of very considerable historical and
 * he relation to each other of father and son, are
 * he times, it may roughly be said, of Thomas Tickell

muse.

To these things it may be added that Caleb White- foord is responsible for many pieces in ' The Foundling Hospital for Wit'; that he was a great